Just Like God Made Them

Your Eyes Should Be Brown

Your eyes reflect: Depth and wisdom What's hidden behind your eyes: A tender heart

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

Missions Fest

Oh, to be able to sum up this last weekend. No, I don't believe it can be done. It was amazing! So many stories- being held hostage in the jungle, being shot at but having God's protection, the modern church of the west, all that is going on in China!

For those who don't know I spent this last weekend (Saturday and Sunday) in Vancouver BC at a missions festival with two of my dear friends. We each felt very encouraged and challenged to be more involved with missions as well as praying for missions and the persecuted church. There were several seminars that we attended. My favorite seminar was on guarding our hearts and keeping a fresh focus on missions. It was amazing. The Scottish Evangelist that shared had some really neat stories how, not only he, but many people were ministering and leading others to faith. He shared and reminded us about how in need our world is of a Savior. There really wasn't any thing new as far as information goes but it was all presented in a very fresh way. I was greatly encouraged and refreshed. Not only refreshed but challenged and convicted. I left the seminar with tears running down my face. The tears were those of conviction at all that needed to be done for a hurting and dieing world and how little I was doing or even caring.

Another very touching seminar was that told by Gracia Burnham who spent a year as a hostage in the jungles of the Philippines. Her life was extremely difficult through all of that time and near the end of their captivity her husband was killed. She now writes books and teaches seminars about her experience.

One of the most overwhelming parts about the whole weekend was the exhibits. Many, many organizations showing the ministries that they offer. I came home with piles of pamphlets and magazines. It will take me days to go through them all, but I don't mind because this is one of my God given passions.

Not only was the missions fest itself exhilarating but I also had the opportunity to re-acquittance myself with old friends. It had been many months since I last saw the two young ladies that I went with. There was much sharing about what the Lord has been teaching us and showing us but also much giggling and chattering. Oh, the inside jokes that were brought up - some things never change. The one thing that there was very little of was sleeping. Now I am very tired but happy and content.

God is so good.

Puritans Prayer

O God, the Author of all good,
I come to thee for the grace that another day will require for its duties and events.
I step out into a wicked world,
I carry about with me an evil heart,
I know that without thee I can do noting,
that everything with which I shall be concerned, however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by thy power.
Hold thou me up and I shall be safe.
Preserve my understanding from subtlety of error,
my affections from love of idols,
my character from stain of vice,
my profession from every form of evil.
-Arther Bennett The Valley of Vision:A Collection of Puritan Prayer and Devotions

A Good Devotional (book report)

A devotional that I have read recently (Actually last fall) is Idols of the Heart:Learning to Long for God Alone by Elyse Fitzpatrick
Like it's title suggests this book talks about loving God alone and desiring him above all things. I was very much encouraged by this book. Fitzpatrick discuses several characters in the Bible and how they either had an idol that was above God and how this caused destruction in their lives or about those who, although could have easily been tempted to have something in their life be above God, chose to worship Him alone and how they were blessed because of this choice. She also discusses how we are often tempted, not so much by material idols, as by emotional idols. Things like wanting another persons good opinion can often very easily take the place of God in our hears. There are so many temptations that we face every day but must resist in order to have an intimate relationship with God.

You love me again today Lord?

You love me again today Lord?
Where do You find this love?
Is there no depth to the well that is You?
There is no depth to the need that is me.
So I come again and again and again
Fresh water pours over me,
Washes me, and restores the battered places.
Battered by the choices I have made
And the roles I have played
I worship you.
Fount of never ending love
God of this outrageous love
I worship You.

-Author Unknown

A Confession

I have a confession to make: I really have a hard time being consistent with my memorizing of scripture. It isn't that I don't want to, it isn't even that it is really difficult for me. It is just my own laziness.

I'm actually not telling you this just for the fact that I like telling people about my own failings. My hope is that perhaps you may be encouraged to memorize scripture more consistently or if there is another area that you are struggling in that you would be encouraged to make the sacrifices necessary in order to overcome that struggle.

Here are some things that I do to make myself memorize. Maybe you will be able to apply some of them to your current goals.

Have an accountability partner (right now that is my parents and a few of my friends)
Have a specific time of day that I try to memorize.
Put what I'm trying to memorize in a place that it will be very convenient for me and that I will look at often.

As someone great once said: Just keep on keep'n on.

Soda

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you. People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?